Source: European Parliament
Article 24 of Directive 2010/75/EU[1] regulates public participation and access to information in permit granting and review procedures, and provides that the competent authority must i) consult the public concerned in cases where a new or updated permit is being granted; and ii) make available to the public several types of information, such as the content and copy of the decision; the reasons on which it was based; and the results of the consultations held and how these were taken into consideration.
This obligation may apply to some of the documents mentioned by the Honourable Members. However, the directive requires that such information is made available to the public, including via the Internet, ‘[w]hen a decision on granting or the reconsideration or updating of a permit has been taken’.
To the Commission’s knowledge, the process for the renewal of the permit of the Acciaierie d’Italia (former ILVA) steel plant in Taranto is ongoing and no decision has been taken yet.
In accordance with Article 3 of Directive 2003/4/EC[2], Member States may be required to make available upon request other environmental information that does not fall within the above-mentioned obligation. Based on the information provided, the Commission cannot establish that this obligation has been breached in the case at hand.
The Commission notes that several issues of non-conformity of the Italian legislation with Directive 2010/75/EU and of its bad application have been raised in the additional letter of formal notice sent to Italy on 7 May 2025[3] in the context of the ongoing infringement procedure INFR(2013)2177.
- [1] Directive 2010/75/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 November 2010 on industrial and livestock rearing emissions (integrated pollution prevention and control), OJ L 334, 17.12.2010.
- [2] Directive 2003/4/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 January 2003 on public access to environmental information and repealing Council Directive 90/313/EEC, OJ L 41, 14.2.2003.
- [3] https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/inf_25_982.